A party that went horribly wrong left three friends burned after a gas bottle exploded in their faces.
The Fire Service was called to a bach at Anawhata Beach, north of Piha, late on Saturday night after two women and a man received serious burns to their faces andarms.
Chief officer of the Waitakere District Fire Service, Bill Ellis, said there was no power at the bach.
"When the gas stove did not go the three burn victims ended up taking a candle outside to check the gas cylinder."
Gas had built up in the area because the hose running to the cylinder had come undone.
Because of the distance from the bach to the nearest main road, the firemen could not reach the victims for at least an hour.
"They got themselves into a very hazardous situation in a very remote area," Mr Ellis said.
"There was no road to the bach.
"That meant their friends had to hop in a dinghy and paddle down a river to meet us."
The victims were flown by helicopter to Middlemore Hospital.
"A lot more preparation could have gone into their holiday planning," Mr Ellis said.
